Meet Ana

As a professional esthetician, Ana has taken to her practice with passion. Hers is a job that provides daily affirmations, satisfaction, and surprise. As she describes it, "I love being around people. I love making people feel good about themselves, just seeing their face. When I turn them around and they're like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ They come in and they're so adorable like, ‘Oh, I have this going on. I have that going on.’”

And it seems that for many of her clients, daily care is a simple matter of adopting good habits. Ana recommends keeping a sun block by the front door or in the shower so that it's visible and within easy reach. Protection is key, so she wants to make sure her clients don't simply forget. The same goes for cleansers: Keep a daily routine.

As for how often to get a facial, Ana says, "I suggest at least three to four weeks. That's when the cells starting over. I always tell them, ‘Your skin's going to let you know.’ It's going to be like, ‘Okay, it's time for that facial.’”

Ana will remind you that skin care is just as important for men as it is for women. But that's not how many see it. "Guys think it's a girl thing, but it's really not. You're treating your skin. You're aging. We're going to help you. A lot of my male clients come in and they're like, ‘My wife made me come.’ And then I see them on my schedule next month. As they start coming, they're like, ‘Wow, this is awesome! This is not just for girls. My skin actually feels better.’”

Ana's relationship to skin care almost makes you want to become an esthetician yourself, her enjoyment is that contagious. She was effusive about starting at Massage Envy, saying, "They were so welcoming. You start working here and you just feel so comfortable, so confident in what you do. You start doing it and you're like, ‘This is why I love and why I picked this.’”

Paying attention to her clients, and seeing them face to face without the pretense —that's what moves Ana. She's not just working on skin. She's working on how people face the world. "They come in with self-confidence issues. Just make them feel comfortable, first of all. They're showing you their full, bare face. Something they don't do on the daily,” she explains.

Ana is a great example of how estheticians make people feel good about themselves. Because how you look often affects the way you feel. Ana helps her clients feel comfortable, more than skin deep.